The Sun is amazing! It gives us light and warmth and enables plants to grow.
But just as you wouldn't stare straight into a light or lamp, the Sun's light is too strong for our eyes.
The Sun shines very strong rays of light, invisible to us, called ultraviolet (UV) rays. These rays can give you sunburn and are dangerous for your eyes.
Those strong UV rays can damage our eyes and we might not even feel it right away! That's why it's super important to never look straight at the Sun.
Our eyes are extremely delicate and hard to heal or fix, unlike other parts of our bodies, so we have to try really hard to take care of them.
Sunglasses have special lenses that block most of those strong UV rays, protecting your eyes from the harmful rays. They also help you to see better in bright sunshine because they cut down on the glare.
Sunglasses help protect our eyes, but we still must not look directly at the Sun, even with sunglasses on.
Sun cream is like a superhero suit for your skin! It has special ingredients that block most of the Sun's UV rays from reaching your skin.
Sunburn is what happens when our skin is damaged by the Sun. The skin can go red, be very warm to touch and it can be itchy and dry too. Very bad sunburn can take a few days or weeks to heal. If you do get sunburnt, drink water and put aftersun or aloe vera gel on to help with the itching.
Too much sun exposure can damage your skin over time, so it's important to look after our skin.
Sun cream helps keep your skin healthy and protected - just remember to reapply sun cream every 2-3 hours, or after swimming, to make sure your skin is protected!
We can also stay safe by avoiding the Sun when the UV light is strongest. At midday, in the summer or when there are no clouds in the sky, the UV light is stronger, so this is a good time to get in the shade and have a big cool drink.
Sunstroke happens if we are in the Sun for too long and we overheat . This happens when our bodies get too hot and we can't cool ourselves down. It can give us headaches or even make us sick and it can last a few days!
We don't want to feel poorly, especially when it is sunny outside, so stay in the shade when the Sun is at its hottest, drink lots of water and wear loose clothes such as big t-shirts, to protect our skin and keep us cool!
Sun hats can protect our heads and eyes from the Sun as well!
Let's practise and see what we have learnt about how to stay safe and have fun in the Sun!